Replacing a standard receptacle with a GFCI

I'm replacing a standard receptacle under my kitchen sink with a GFCI receptacle. The old one had the white wire on one side, a red wire on top and a black wire on the bottom of the other side (looped around the screws). The ground was to the green screw.

I attached the wires the same way on the new receptacle. On the new outlet, the bottom screws are labeled LINE and the top are labeled LOAD. I only have 1 white wire and I attached it across from the black on the LINE screws. The red is attached above the black on the LOAD line. I get power to both outlets, but when I turn on the wall switch, the outlet trips. I believe the red wire is for the switch, not sure if I got the wrong kind of receptacle or if I need to attach the wires differently.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

Doug

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Replacing a standard receptacle with a GFCI

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsb

I'm replacing a standard receptacle under my kitchen sink with a GFCI receptacle. The old one had the white wire on one side, a red wire on top and a black wire on the bottom of the other side (looped around the screws). The ground was to the green screw.

I attached the wires the same way on the new receptacle. On the new outlet, the bottom screws are labeled LINE and the top are labeled LOAD. I only have 1 white wire and I attached it across from the black on the LINE screws. The red is attached above the black on the LOAD line. I get power to both outlets, but when I turn on the wall switch, the outlet trips. I believe the red wire is for the switch, not sure if I got the wrong kind of receptacle or if I need to attach the wires differently.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

Doug

You had a split receptacle where one half was controlled by a switch and the other a constant hot. You cannot wire a GFCI receptacle this way. Put the old one back in. You do not need a GFCI under the sink.

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Replacing a standard receptacle with a GFCI

OK, gotcha. I thought a GFCI might be better because this receptacle has the dishwasher and disposal on it. I have to replace because a leak under there caused a short and toasted the old receptacle. I replaced the faucet and fixed the leak, I will just get a regular receptacle.

Replacing a standard receptacle with a GFCI

Alternatively. The RED wire on the ORIGINAL (non-GFCI) receptacle could go to control a LIGHT. When hooked to the LOAD side of the GFCI recept. and the SWITCH is activated, it will trip the TEST BUTTON of the GFCI. Because the LIGHT is using a different NEUTRAL. The solution in that case is, to connect the RED wire to the LINE side of the GFCI!

Replacing a standard receptacle with a GFCI

If you reaaaaaaaally want GFCI protection for that plug (though not necessary), you could replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker in the panel. Most places I've seen that have been wired in fairly recent times have the dishwasher and disposal sharing a multi-wire branch circuit, with the disposal on the switched receptacle and the DW wired straight through the box. A 2-pole GFCI breaker might be a bit more expensive though, and still not necessary or required for that application. Just an option.